Teen Killed, Another in Critical Condition After Jumping Into Bronx River

A Bronx teenager was killed and another remains hospitalized after two cousins jumped into the Bronx River yesterday afternoon, officials say.

Cousins Gavin Wellington and Erickson Villa, both 13, decided to go swimming in the river, jumping in near Starlight Park. According to Gothamist, their friends called for help just after 3:09 p.m. when they were no longer able to see Wellington and Villa in the water. Diamonique Mims, a witness, told CBS New York that someone else "jumped in after [them]," but got out because he couldn't swim.

Wellington was removed from the water and taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, then Montefiore Medical Center. As of yesterday evening, he was in critical condition. Villa was removed the water around 4:20 p.m. and pronounced dead at St. Barnabas.

Speaking with CBS New York, FDNY Deputy Chief Anthony Montera described the scene:

The kids that were swimming with the other victims, and they pinpointed the area where they went down, and we looked directly in that area and were able to quickly recover one. The other one took longer to find — no visibility down there; very hard to see anything.